Drain shoe plug

ABSTRACT

THE DISCLOSURE HEREIN IS OF A DRAIN SHOE PLUG OF GENERALLY CONVENTIONAL USE, AS THE SAME IS REQUIRED FOR WASTE AND OVERFLOW UNITS OF BATH TUBS, INVOLVING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SHOE PLUG WHEREIN THE SAME IS OF TUBULAR NATURE, HAVING SUITABLE GUIDE MEANS THEREIN FORMED BY STAMPING, SUCH GUIDE MEANS BEING AFFIXED TO THE TUBULAR MOUNTING SECTION OF THE SHOE PLUG, AND BY REASON OF THE CONFIGURATION AND FORMATION OF THE SAME DURING THE STAMPING OPERATION, PROVIDING FOR RAISING AND LOWERING OF A STOPPER UNIT WITH SUITABLE STOP MEANS PROVIDING TO FACILITATE POSITIONING OF THE STOPPER UNIT FOR DRAINING AND TO PERMIT THE SAME TO SHUT THE DRAIN OFF A SOMEWHAT CONVENTIONAL MANNER.   D R A W I N G

March'13, 1973 1 w. E. POLITZ 3,719,961 1 DRAIN SHOE PLUG Filed Oct. 30, 1970 INVENTOR. W.E. Polirz United States Patent 3,719,961 DRAIN SHOE PLUG William E. Politz, Delphi, Ind., assignor to Stephen A. Young, Monticello, Ind. Filed Oct. 30, 1970, Ser. No. 85,547 Int. Cl. A47k 1/14 U.S. Cl. 4-295 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The disclosure herein is of a drain shoe plug of generally conventional use, as the same is required for waste and overflow units of bath tubs, involving the construction of a shoe plug wherein the same is of tubular nature, having suitable guide means therein formed by stamping, such guide means being affixed to the tubular mounting section of the shoe plug, and by reason of the configuration and formation of the same during the stamping operation, providing for raising and lowering of a stopper unit with suitable stop means being provided to facilitate positioning of the stopper unit for draining and to permit the same to shut the drain off in a somewhat conventional manner.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a drain shoe plug of the class described in which the plug is in large measure made of metal stampings so as to provide for inexpensive manufacture, and because of the configuration of the metal stampings providing for raising and lowering of such stopper unit in a novel manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide the guide means incorporated in a drain shoe plug of the class described in which such guide means is formed of relatively wide, flat members having semi-cylindrical areas about midway thereof, which when placed in a juxtaposition will provide a cylindrical portion in which the stem of a stopper unit may be located with limiting means being provided both for rotational positioning of the stopper unit and for raising and lowering of the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide guide means which are formed by metal stamping and to facilitate handling thereof, arranged so as to be formed of one piece yet provide for receiving a stem therebetween and by reason of the one piece formation and positioning in the body of the shoe plug, make posible securing the same to the shoe plug by soldering, brazing or other comparable means.

Other and further objects of the invention will be understood from a consideration of the specification appended hereto and disclosed in the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, partly sectional view illustrating a waste, and overflow unit, in which a stopper unit of the class described is incorporated.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing the various parts of the stopper unit.

FIG. 3 is a view taken about on the line 33 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a view of the stem in elevation.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the guide means as partially completed in its formation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawing, FIG. 1 discloses a bath tub, or more particularly a fragment thereof at 1, in which the waste outlet at 2 is provided with a shoe plug generally designated 3 formed in accordance with this invention, and being mounted in a waste arm 4.

The waste arm 4 in turn connects with a waste T 5 which directs the drainage of the tube into an outlet 6.

3,719,961 Patented Mar. 13, 1973 Suitable overflow arm at 7 may be provided not otherwise described but well-known in the art.

Referring now to FIG. 2 wherein the details of construction of the shoe plug hereof are disclosed, the said shoe plug unit 3 incorporates therein a body 8 incorporating a tubular section 9 therein, which tubular section at its upper end is equipped with a mounting flange 10 seated at the opening in the tub as suggested in FIG. 1, there being a shoulder 11 at the lower end formed by turning inwardly the material of the tubular section 9.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 5, the guide means generally designated 12 is shown as comprising a pair of relatively wide, flat members 13 and 14 formed substantially identically with the semi-cylindrical sections 13a and 14a provided about midway of the ends 13b and 13c as well as 14b and 140.

For manufacturing purposes and handling of the units thus provided, these wide, flat members are preferably formed of a single strip of material involving the members 13 and 14 which as suggested in FIG. 3 most clearly, is bent at 16 so that the faces of the opposing members are in juxtaposition with the semi-cylindrical portions 13a and 14a opposite one another to thereby provide a substantially vertical cylindrical section in which a vertically moveable stem 17 is mounted, the stem 17 being equipped at its upper end with a threaded section 18 and at its lower end with a snap ring groove 19.

Extending out of the surface of the stem 17, which is a piece of rod preferably, is a protuberance 20 which is located on the stem 17 in such a manner that by reason of the curved areas such as are indicated at 14d and 13d, a passage designated 21 for example, is formed.

It will be apparent that a similar configuration diametrically opposed to that just described will likewise be provided, and may be similarly availed of for use as will now be described.

It will be noted that the protuberance 20 may be positioned by suitable manipulation of the stem 17 as by resorting to movement of the knob 22 located at the upper end thereof, which knob 22 in turn positions the stopper part 23 on the stern, so that by'raising the stem 17 and rotating the same so the protuberance 20 moves out of the passage 21, to position the protuberance on the upper edge of one of the members 13 for example, as suggested in FIG. 3 particularly.

Since there is provided a stop 24 on the member 13, rotation of the stem will be limited by engagement of the protuberance 20 therewith.

It will be apparent that rotation of the stopper unit may be resorted to in the opposite direction so that the other side of the stop 24 is engaged. The passage 21 provided by the formation of the curved areas similar to those designated 13d and 14d permits the stem to move downwardly and thus the stopper part 23 into engagement with a seat such as is indicated at 25 whereby the water will be retained in the tub.

A suitable snap ring such as indicated at 26 may be located in the groove 19 to limit the upward movement of the stopper and yet permit the protuberance 20 to rise out of the passage 21 sufiiciently so as to be supported on the upper edge surface of one of the parts 13 or 14.

Completing the description of the drain shoe plug of this invention, the guide means consisting of the members 13 and 14 will be positioned in the tubular section 9 and soldered therewithin or brazed, as the case may be, so that in effect it becomes an integral part of the shoe plug as a whole.

It should be understood of course that the shoe plug is provided with external threads which engage the threaded shoe of the waste arm 4 so that the plug as a whole is maintained in connection with the drain outlet of a tub or the like.

I claim:

1. In a shoe plug of the class described,- in combination, a body comprising a tubular section, a flange extending outwardly therefrom at the upper end, a seat at the said end, a shoulder extending inwardly at the lower end, a stopper unit cooperable with said seat to control flow of liquid through the body forrdrain purposes, said unit including a stopper part, a stem extending downwardly therefrom, and guide means in the body to support the stem for movement with the stopper toward and from the seat, the guide means consisting of a pair of relatively wide, vertically positioned flat members in juxtaposition, each having a semi-cylindrical portion centrally formed therein, said portions being arranged opposite one another to provide a substantially vertical cylindrical section in' which the stem is positioned, and a passage extending vertically at the junction of said portions, a stop on the guide means, and a protuberance on the stem to limit turning movement of the stem about the longitudinal axis thereof to maintain the stopper unit in raised position for drain purposes, and be received in the passage aforesaid to permit lowering of the stopper unit.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pair of wide, fiat members is connected at one end and bent into juxtaposition with the semi-cylindrical portions opposite one another to provide the section mentioned, the curved areas at the junction of the semi-cylindrical portions with the straight fiat parts of the members providing a passage to receive the protuberance on the stem for lowering the stopper.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 2, wherein the ends of the pair of members are seated on the shoulder and secured in the tubular section.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 1, wherein the passage at the junction of said section is a result of the curvature created in forming said portions in each of the fiat members at adjacent areas, said curvatures thereby providing sutficient passage to receive the said protuberance therebetween.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,010,120 11/1961 Young 4295 1,630,352 5/1927 Mortimer 4295 2,282,212 5/1942 Pope 4200 1,630,351 5/1927 Mortimer 4295 1,811,852 6/1931 Judall 4287 3,071,781 1/1963 Seewack 4-286 FOREIGN PATENTS 724,243 2/1955 Great Britain 4-286 1,036,292 7/1966 Great Britain 4295 166,438 3/1959 Sweden 4295 216,637 12/1941 Switzerland '4-286 FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

